IRISH OLYMPIC medal-winning boxer Darren Sutherland (27) was found dead at his London home yesterday by his manager.
Sutherland, who won bronze for Ireland at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, was found dead in tragic circumstances in his flat in Bromley, south London, by Frank Maloney.
In a statement the boxing promoter said: “It is very sad and unexpected. At this sad time my thoughts are with Darren’s family and I hope their privacy at this very difficult time will be respected by the media. It is a tragedy for Ireland and the world of boxing.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said Sutherland was pronounced dead at just after 3pm. His death is not being treated as suspicious.
The fighter made his professional debut in Dublin last December, winning by a knockout.
Darren Sutherland, from the St Saviours ABC club in Dublin, first came to prominence to the non-boxing public during the Beijing games, when he became one of three Irish boxers to win a medal.
Prior to that he had won national senior titles in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and also two European Union gold medals.
Sutherland, known in the ring as ‘‘The Dazzler’’, won the middleweight bronze medal along with Belfast’s Paddy Barnes, while fellow Dubliner, Egan, won silver in what was the best boxing team performance since Barcelon in 1992.
On returning to Dublin Sutherland announced that he was turning professional, which did not come as a surprise to the boxing fraternity as he had always stated that a world title had been an ambition of his since a child.
He was courted by a number of promoters as his run and media exposure in Beijing had given him a high profile. In October 2008, he came to an agreement with London promoter Frank Maloney to guide his career towards that coveted world title.
That decision meant that Sutherland moved from Dublin to London where he lived and trained under Maloney in the super middleweight division.
His first professional outing, however, was in Dublin City University in December 2008. It was a successful debut against Bulgarian Georgi Iliev, who was successfully stopped in the first round. Maloney was in no doubt then that he had unearthed a future star. “I think we’ve found a real super star here,” said the promoter. “I think this is the beginning of a long journey. I personally believe Darren will go all the way to become the undisputed super middleweight champion of the world and probably one of, if not the leading Irish sports star of the century.”
The Minister for Sport, Martin Cullen, said last night that the “tremendous effort and determination of Darren Sutherland brought immense pride to Ireland in Beijing in 2008. . .it takes work, effort, desire and dedication to be a champion, qualities Darren had in abundance.’’
